The present invention relates to a component connection having first and second components with through holes and a connecting element. The present invention also relates to a method for connecting a first component that has a through-hole to a second component that has a through-hole.
A component connection in which use is made of a connecting element which has two or more spherical or spheroidal elements that are connected together is known from DE 10 2012 206 938 B3.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method by which two components that each have a through-hole can be connected together easily in an initially “floating” manner, and to provide a corresponding component connection.
The starting point of the invention is a component connection for connecting a first component to a second component. The first component has a through-hole, from the “hole rim” of which at least one clamping element protrudes toward a first side of the first component. The at least one clamping element can be formed by a bent-over or bent-up peripheral portion of the hole rim of the first component. The at least one clamping element can be formed, for example, by an encircling clamping collar or by a plurality of clamping collar portions that are spaced apart from one another and arranged in a distributed manner in the circumferential direction.
The second component likewise has a through-hole, from the “hole rim” of which at least one clamping element protrudes toward a first side of the second component. The at least one clamping element of the second component can likewise be formed by a bent-over or bent-up peripheral portion of the hole rim. Here, too, the at least one clamping element can be formed by an encircling clamping collar or by a plurality of clamping collar portions that are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction.
According to the invention, the two components are joined together such that they bear against one another with their second sides that face away from the first sides. “Bear” can mean that they bear directly against one another, i.e. they are in direct contact with one another. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case. In principle, an intermediate layer, for example an adhesive layer, a layer formed by a third component, or the like, could be provided between the second sides of the two components.
An essential element of the invention is formed by a connecting element. The connecting element has at least two spherical or spheroidal elements. The connecting element extends through the two through-holes, specifically such that the at least one clamping element of the first component bears against a first of the at least two spherical or spheroidal elements from the outside in a clamping manner and the at least one clamping element of the second component bears against a second of the at least two spherical or spheroidal elements in a clamping manner.
By means of such a connecting element, the two components can be clamped together easily in a “floating” manner. “Floating” means that the two clamped-together components can be displaced relative to one another at least to a certain extent after they have been clamped together. Such floating, pre-fixing, of two components opens up a multiplicity of possible applications. Such a component connection can be used, for example, for the pre-fixing of two vehicle body parts that are intended to be connected firmly together, for the pre-fixing of an add-on part to a vehicle body part, or the like.
Provision can be made for the connecting element to have two spherical or spheroidal elements that are connected together. Provision can be made in particular for the connecting element to be formed by precisely two spheres that are connected together. The two spherical or spheroidal elements or spheres can, in particular, be connected together cohesively, for example by welding.
According to one development of the invention, provision is made for at least one of the clamping elements, in particular each clamping element of the first and/or of the second component, to bear against the connecting element from the outside in a particular region. The region is located between equatorial planes of the spherical or spheroidal elements. If one imagines a connecting line through the centers of the spherical or spheroidal elements, then the equatorial planes of the spherical or spheroidal elements are perpendicular to this connecting line. If the clamping elements bear against the spherical or spheroidal elements from the outside in the region between the equatorial planes, a particularly high clamping or pull-out force arises.
As already indicated above, a straight line that extends through the centers of the spherical or spheroidal elements does not have to be exactly perpendicular with respect to a tangential plane of the first and/or of the second component in the region of the associated through-hole, i.e. not exactly perpendicular to the two components in the region of the through-holes. Rather, the straight line extending through the centers of the spherical or spheroidal elements can be inclined with respect thereto. As a result of such a “floating mounting”, it is thus possible for manufacturing tolerances to be compensated to a certain extent.
As already indicated, provision can be made for the at least one clamping element of the first component and/or the at least one clamping element of the second component to be connected integrally to the first or the second component. The at least one clamping element of the first component and/or of the second component can be formed, for example, by a bent-over hole rim of the first or second component.
In addition to the clamping connection, the two components can be connected firmly together permanently or firmly together in some other way. After the two components have been pre-fixed via the connecting element, the two components can be welded, screwed, riveted or adhesively bonded together or connected firmly together in some other way.
In particular, provision can be made for the two components to be oriented with respect to one another by a form-fitting connection in addition to the clamping connection. For example, the first component can have an elevation and the second component a complementary depression in which the elevation engages in a form-fitting manner, or vice versa.
Alternatively or in addition thereto, it is also possible for centering holes to be provided in the two components, a centering element, for example a centering pin, being inserted into the centering holes. The centering pin positions the two components distinctly relative to one another at least at the location of the centering holes.
Provision can furthermore be made for the clamping element of the first component to be welded to the first spherical element and/or for the clamping element of the second component to be welded to the second spherical element.
If one of the clamping elements is formed by an encircling clamping collar, the encircling clamping collar can be circumferentially welded to the associated spherical or spheroidal element.
For the sake of completeness, the method according to the invention is also described. Specifically, it is a method for connecting a first component that has a through-hole to a second component that has a through-hole. The method includes the following acts: placing the two components against one another such that the through-holes at least partially overlap one another; and connecting the two components in a clamped manner by attaching a connecting element which has at least two spherical or spheroidal elements, such that a first of the spherical or spheroidal elements projects out of the through-hole in the first component on a first side of the first component, and a second of the spherical or spheroidal elements projects out of the through-hole in the second component on a first side of the second component that faces away from the first side of the first component. A clamping element protrudes from a hole rim of the first component. The clamping element bears against the first of the spherical or spheroidal elements from the outside in a clamping manner. A clamping element protrudes from a hole rim of the second component. The clamping element bears against the second of the spherical or spheroidal elements from the outside in a clamping manner.
The clamping element can be welded to a spherical or spheroidal element bearing against it, for example, by laser welding. This has the advantage that the welding apparatus can be arranged at a distance from the component connection.
Tests have shown that a spherical or spheroidal element, as a connecting element according to the invention, can be detected very well and precisely by an optical detection device. The spherical or spheroidal elements of the connecting element thus form, on account of their shape, a very precisely detectable element with regard to their respective position. The position signals generated by a corresponding detection device can be supplied to the welding device (e.g. laser welding device). In this way, high-quality welded connections can be produced in a precise position.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.